City on Bony:

The 26-year-old joined Manuel Pellegrini's side, having caught the eye with an impressive goalscoring record for fellow Premier League outfit Swansea City since his arrival in England's top flight in 2013.

The Ivorian netted 25 goals for the Welsh club in 54 appearances , with three of those 25 strikes coming against City in just two meetings.

After the clash at the Liberty Stadium on New Year's Day 2014, Pellegrini declared his admiration for two-goal Bony, describing him as a "very good striker."

"He is very difficult to mark because he is so strong," he stated. "His second was a very good shot."

Hailed as one of the most naturally gifted forwards around, the forward was quickly targeted as the perfect solution to the champions' striker shortage.

Born in Bingerville he played street football from a young age in the Brazilian style of 'Maracana' before joining the Cyrille Domoraud Academy.

He signed his first professional contract with Issia Wazi in the Côte d'Ivoire's Premier Division and remained at the club until Sparta Prague B signed him on loan in 2007.

Having impressed at 'B level' for his part in securing the Bohemian Football League championship, he was rewarded with a full contract with the first-team and went on to net 22 goals in 59 games, prompting Vitesse to snap him up in 2011.

He enjoyed another fruitful period with the Dutch side, ending the 2012-13 season as the Eredivisie's top scorer, clinching the league's Golden Shoe award and consequently attracting Swansea's interest.

At international level, Bony has made 32 appearances for the Ivory Coast since making his senior debut in 2010, scoring 11 times.